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The Bab Al Mandeb strait is just 18 miles wide, but a large slice of global trade passes through its vital waters every day. To its north is a war zone in Yemen, and to its south sits Djibouti, a tiny but strategically crucial East African nation.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, we dissect the importance of Bab Al Mandeb, both economically and geopolitcally. Listen here:

Host Charlie Mitchell talks with Jennifer Gnana, who covers energy and business for The National, about the importance of Bab Al Mandeb for global shipping and markets.

And Ahmed Soliman, a researcher on the Horn of Africa with the Africa Programme at Chatham House in London, offers insight into the geopolitical realities in the Horn, which have sparked a scramble to secure the strait.